Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-01-15
Written for the EVENING sTaE-
y LOST IDENTITY.
BIZ HARRIET PRESCOTT sPOFFoRD.
copyrighted 1877
PART III.

q
ers OF health and strength. 1t sometimes seemed
10 himself, in his rapt study that he was on the
verge of discovering mighty secrets OF the powers
OF life and death. 1t seemed so TO Helena, too.
The day was perfect one with now and then a
capful OF wind blowing out OF the little round
clouds that swelled up over the horizon like bub-
bleA
.sWfll you go out with meg" asked Helena.
with all these naws?" he asked
s.Jrst "a Won please Then viii 90 alone.-
s.Al0nei What in Heavens name could you do
alone?"
"a fancy, she said, the laugh frightening all the
rich color in her cheek. Il could drown, in order
that you should blow the fresh breath OF life into
me- with all your occult powers
life would he much more comfortable, Helena
II there were something yOu were AFRAID OF in it,.
Well. here We CO. and he gathered up his lazy
length and reached his hat. ''If We drown, IL Is
your fault"
..Jy doesn't much matter about drowning,
though" she said, swinging her hat as they went
along the single. and unaware that she spoke In
o5her than matter-of-fact way, ''if we drown to-
ge5her.-
ARE you 50 Indifferent to life-in such hurry
To got through
ION. no. no. neverl But II is all 80 blest that
am half the time afraid something will happen"
but the worst that could happen is death,
and,
NO, indeed: the worst that could happen would
be that you might look at some other woman
and then they both laughed, knowing well the
habit of her jealous pangs, and ran along TO the
boat it sgnfying little that neither of them knew
much OF anything about a boat, and that they
were running before ne wind directly in the track
OF the sea-gcing steamers.
could anything ne more perfecte7 said Helena,
half recumbaut In the stern sea and sky making
. sapphire and lapis ring about her. I'VE seem 10
De alone III this great hollow shell of the Sky and
ss,a. IL is like our old lover days over again"
only better he answered her.
only BETTER she repeated
I'VE must come out at night. with the sea and
Stars. and the freedom OF the universe. alone. To-
gether" and they sailed he told her histories Of
the old craft that had plowed these waters-iire-
ships and phantom ShipS-and recited to her
verses OF his own indittng. for now and then he
turned of a little song as perfect as pearl
That is the strangest thing she said, that
you. who don't know what music is. should have
tue writing OF such verses. and J. who am music 3
eonfdarte, canrnt write melody.
lyon are n melody" he said. And Just at that
instant there was roar. rush, ringing OK bells
that sounded III their ears Ike grDs. wild cries,
vast black bulk towering over them, crash, q
sweep OF many waters. and then nCthintyneSS.
Half an hour afterw3rd a fisherman found a
broken boat afiCat bottOm-side up. and man en-
tangled In the rigging. his head above the water.
unconscious but alive. Trimming his sail speedily
be took his half-drOwned man ashore. And after
the sickness and delirium OF weeks. as wretched
and deSolate man walked the earth, Leonard
Vance took up his cOerleSS lire, alone. he said.
till the sea gave up it's dead. For Helena was
~
day. from a stone SET up as memorial without a
grave, and oyergTown with braIn0le roses, TO read
The name upon il:
HELEN, VANCE.
Lost at Sea.
Aged2
To the happy, half score OF years may pass Ike
dream in the night. They may pass Ike dream
in the night too, 10 those who arr simply unaware
OF their lapse, as q woman lying helpless and
speechlesS IN large hospital for the insane near
French could al
She had been brought there by the captain OF q
French steamer, who had picked her up at sea,
plying passengers having subscribed 2 sum OF
money for her comfort. He knew nothing about
her; the fracture of her skul-for she had been.
perhaps, dragged the whole length OF the keel and
hurt by the propeller-had already made her III
sensible before the apopieXy OF drowning took
place, and although when drawn on board The
steamer, she was found after long effort to be
living, she had no language and no consciousness.
The ine texture "a The fragments left or the gaT-
nentS torn and cut and wrenched away indicated
comfortable circumstances; but no name was to
De found on any OF the remaining portions. Yet
one could hardly look at her and nor Imagine her
20 hare been person OF singular refinement "a
she evidently still was 81 singular beauty-tlarN
and shapely. With chiseed features and a wealth
Of long, Dight-biack hair. The captain who lett
her at the hospital on Landing had intended 20
insert advertisements respecting her in the Ameri-
csn newspapers but whether he did or not no one
knew, az ne was nlnlseU lost at sea on the return
voyage.
And 50 she had remained where he had left her.
her case exciting some interest among surgeons.
The fracture o. the skull had long been cured.
and IL was thought that slow ABSORPTION would
relieve the brain Of pressure and IN tine restore
Ihs. patient 10 herself and 80 TO hsr friends she
had gradually waEed from her StuDor. and given
faint slinmers OF reason and become more and
E0re Intelligent ait aOin 50 slowly that one recOg-
uzed " only ny comparison with the past. When
81 last she spoke T. was IN French. whether that
was her native tongue WAS doubtful. from a GER
tain peculiarly OK Pronunciation. IL was possible
she had iearncd Il as child learns is mother
tonsnf, hearing It Spoken about her; but on the
seemed 10 say, 70 the southern provinces, that
would account FOR the popularity. In the eighth
year OF her stay. however. She. cnce Ia a while,
said something in q foreign tongue. German per.
hapS, Or EnG!tsh-the case was inexDlcable
some months later. she seemed 10 be full OF
ores, o1 doubt AID wonder: she obtained
rom the attendants all That they knew
about herself, but she said nothing IN reply, as
II uncertain whether she dreamed or walked. The
physician regarded II unfayorah. symptom
That she became yery sad. One day she was heard
hulnnng an italian air 1ull OF noriture; she wept
atterward- she could not have told You why. And
thSn sh. soothed uerneDJed child by singing 10
Mn softly al the morning. The attendants got
In the way Of asking her 10 sing Whenever the
ward, were noisy and she always brought quiet
an old official OF the place used 20 do the same
thing with MS mute. they said. One day when a
dangerous and numerous maniac had broken
loose and was dealing havoc on his way, she
astonished ever oooy within the walls by walk
Ing cody toward him anu bursting into Jri-
Hmphal song ril-throated resOunding sweet to
TIE souls satisfaction, TILL the maniac cTept to her
fact and allowed the attendants to secure hun.
bat after that she seemed more bew.dered and
Eli DtiDrr-
one morning. In the tenth year or her stay.
wrapped In her long CLOAK and big blue hood, and
Waking IN the grounds. of when she had long
bad the liberty. she suddenly threw up her hands
etterfn loud cry. II have IL all. have IL all ~
lppen through the gate AMI was gone. The clOt
NaS absorbed at last: the cure was complete.
Possibly IL was the same woman who shipped
mat night on an Oufwdrd-bOund vessel as stew
Ardess TOOK her wages IN the American port,
asste, and bought railway ticket for the town
wt:ere Helene. Vance Was born and had lived he,
happy life.
how slow was the train, No lively tune could
IT. motion make IN her mind the wheels clarnored
Anu ciatteTrd only TO the movement OF a funeral
niarch she could neither eat nor drink nor sIeeD
Ten years. IL was al eternity. Would they he
anve-Leon2rd-the dear old auntS. Who had
.aken care Of the poor things liz all those years?
How they must have missed Ifer their darling
HOw ne must have missed her, his other sell
koboed OF ten years OF happiness condemned 10
yen years OF solitude and sgnering-lf indeed he
lad not FOUND the refuge he had ALWAYS looked
Ior IN her loss. the refuge OF the grave himself
low she would work 10 atone 10 him. 10 make him
nappy, In al their remaining years, With a 70.
doubled happiness, as II the whole tide that
should nave belonged 10 the wears that wen. LOST
"a that black gap OF INCONSISTENCIES flowed bsrE
with ten times repeated strength and depth ON
ne only lived. She longed unspeakabIy oncf
more 70 feel his arms about her. his Kisses ON her
Ten years could not have changed him so much:
they had hardly changed her at all. with tnal
long slunber OF the BRAIN And once more 20 have
that shelter, that support, that care, that wor
snip. Her heart beat 50 il chOked her: She trpIn
oled With the eagerness- with fear with hope
With Joy. And yet-if sne-should-meet Leonard
With smile on his face